Chicago Cubs Trade of Tony Campana for Two Pitching Prospects a Good or Bad Idea?

By Stephanie Lynn

Howard Smith- USA TODAY Sports

Social media blew up Monday afternoon when the news broke that the Chicago Cubs traded outfielder Tony Campana to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two…well, teenagers.

Don’t adjust your screen; you read that correctly.

Recently DFA’ed Tony Campana has been picked up by the Diamondbacks in exchange for two 17-year-old pitching prospects.

Did the Cubs make the right move by giving up their stolen base leader for two minor leaguers that are still practically kids?

Right-hander Erick Leal went 6-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 12 starts for the Dominican Summer League Diamondbacks last year. The teenager put up impressive numbers with 70 strikeouts and only 11 walked batters in 70 innings. In those 70 innings pitched, Leal only gave up one home run.

Jesus Castillo, also a right-handed pitcher, did not have quite as strong of a season with the Dominican Summer League as Leal. Castillo went 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA in 14 appearances last year, eight of which were starts. The newly acquired righty struck out 41 and walked 17 in 46.2 innings pitched, and only gave up three home runs.

Considering these stats come from two 17-year-olds, that’s not too bad. Given the struggles the Cubs’ pitching staff has been encountering the past few seasons, these prospects may be able to help the team when they are ready to play in the Majors. At such a young age, they seem to hold promise for the future, maybe even helping the Cubs with their never-ending pitching problems.

But let’s not forget what the Cubs gave up for these potential new pitchers.

Campana, a fan favorite at Wrigley Field, bounced back and forth between Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs during the past two seasons. The 26-year-old had a .262 batting average with nine doubles, one home run, and an impressive 54 stolen bases during his time with the Cubs.

While many are sad to see Campana leave Chicago, we must be hopeful that this trade was in the best interest for the team, because let’s face it: they need all the help they can get.